Getting Down to Earth

In years past, I had miserable garden failures because I didn’t think about it before I planted whatever I wanted, wherever I wanted. Gee, what a surprise. And while I’m all about spontaneity and experimenting, I do try to stick to a loose plan now, growing what I know will work where from experience and then allowing for a few “experiment zones”, so I can learn something new.

But how did I emerge from the overwhelming feeling of “what to do with this empty box of dirt”? Simply with paper and a pencil!

Remember Garden #2 from a previous post? It was great, but there were changes I wanted to make for the following season to maximize its potential. Plus, I was planning to add a new box beside it for this year, so I could grow even more! And that’s the great thing I’ve learned over the years – it’s not all as final as it first seems. You can make changes. You can replant. You can have some control. So I drafted a to-scale (One centimetre = one foot) sketch of my space (graph paper borrowed from my kids’ school supplies) and started “planting”.

I knew the patty pan squash and cucumber combo worked great last year, and how much space it took up, so why not duplicate it and add more? I never did grow any zukes last year (the zuke I thought I had turned into a pumpkin and I had to move it!), so here was my chance, especially since I could grow them the same way – up a teepee of bamboo sticks! The outside of each spoke on the “wheels” above represents a seed planted (never one to tempt fate, I always thrown in a few extra and thin them to the strongest plant just in case!).

Then I had some space left over to experiment a little. I’ve never grown bush beans at this house, but I chose them because they are short so they don’t require support, and are apparently great producers if you harvest them often so more can keep coming. I just love a veggie that keeps on giving! Which brings me to the last spot in this bed, reserved for greens (lettuce), as I really could have used a little more salad at regular intervals last year and not all at once!
I actually planted it already, as it likes cooler weather, two weeks after I planted the lettuce in the back garden, and guess what we’re having for dinner tonight? Caesar salad! I may harvest them all and plant something else there later, or just keep cutting them as I go so they will continue to provide.

You’ll notice my little sketch is oriented north, and I’m trying to plant as much as I can east to west for best sun exposure (so the books say). But this space produced well last year when I planted the rows north to south, so I’m not too worried. In short, I don’t always follow all the rules – and I’ve paid for it in the past – but I also don’t want to stress out about all the little details – or this wouldn’t be easy, fun or cost effective – some of the main reasons I enjoy it! See, that wasn’t so bad, right? I don’t know why I balked at making a quick plan for so many years. Save yourself the seasons of grief and just spend a few minutes drawing! You’ll feel like a kid again…especially when it works.